Can punches



1959 E. M. SHEEHY 2,898,675

CAN PUNCHES Filed March 4, 1958 //7 en/ r.-

United States Patent CAN PUNCHES Edward M. Sheehy, Oakland, Calif., assign'or to Gadget- Of-The-Month Club, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application March 4, 1958, Serial No. 719,107

8 Claims. (CI. 30-16) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in can openers, more particularly can punches, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herein disclosed, such as may be employed for easy, convenient and highly expeditious punching of openings in tops of cans of beer, soft drinks, fruit juices and various other beverages, to facilitate drinking out of the same or pouring out the contents thereof.

Specifically, the invention is primarily adapted for use as a portable tool which may be readily employed indoors as well as outdoors, such as for example, on picnics, an important feature of the invention residing in its general arrangement which embodies a plier-like action for easy and positive punching of an opening in a can top while the device is conveniently held in only one hand. As such, the invention is not dependent on wall mounting or table top positioning for its satisfactory operation, and its portable nature results therefrom.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for firmly grasping and supporting a can while it is being punched, so that it is not necessary to hold the can with one hand while manipulating the device with the other.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the structural arrangement of the can punch member per se, which is well adapted to punch a clean opening in the top of a can and, after the opening is formed, to be easily withdrawn therefrom Without binding or sticking.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its convenient and efficient operation, in its pleasing appearance, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a can punch in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, a portion of the actuating lever being broken away;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the punch member, shown in an inverted position;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View, similar to that shown in Figure 2 but illustrating the actu ating lever and arm in the depressed position and the operation of the locking means for holding the lever depressed;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the device applied to a can, the latter being shown by dotted lines; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail, showing the attachment of the pressure pad to the body of the device.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail,

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the can punch in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and embodies in its construction an elongated, hollow body 11 which is preferably of a U-shaped cross-section as is best shown in Figure 3 and is open at the top thereof. One end portion of the body affords a handle 11a, while the other end of the body is also open and provided integrally with a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinal extension cars 12.

A portion of the body 11 below the ears 12 is provided with a .pair of transversely spaced recesses 13 which are adapted to receive therein the usual upstanding lip 14 at the top 15 of a beverage can 16, while portions of the body 11 outwardly of the recesses 13 constitute a pair of transversely spaced detents 17 which engage the inside of the can lip 14 when the device is applied to the can.

The body 11 is also provided below the recesses 13 with a pair of depending, transversely spaced cars 18 having a transverse pivot pin 19 mounted therein. A pressure pad 26 is rockably mounted on this pin and is adapted to engage the outer surface of the can 16 immediately below the lip 14, as indicated in Figure 6. The pad 20 is preferably concave to conform substantially to the curvature of the can wall and is provided with a pair of transversely spaced flanges 21 for mounting on the pin 19 between the ears 18, as aforesaid.

An arm 22 is depressibly disposed in the open top of the body 11 including the handle 11a and is attached at one end to the handle by a suitable pivot pin 22. A punch member 23 is suitably secured, such as for ex ample by a screw 24, to the underside of the other end portion of the arm 22, so that it is disposed adjacent the aforementioned detents 17 and pressure pad 20.

Depression of arm 22 is efifected by an actuating lever 25 which is pivoted at one end thereof by a pin 26 between the ears 12 and is provided with a cam edge or edges 27 engaging the upper surface of the arm 22 so that when the lever 25 is depressed toward the handle 11a, the arm 22 is correspondingly depressed into the body 11, as illustrated in Figure 5. It will be observed that during this depressing movement of the arm 22, the punch member 23 moves downwardly past the detents 17 to a position alongside the pad 20.

Although the lever 25 may be solid, for sake of lightness of weight and economy of manufacture, the lever is preferably formed by stamping from sheet metal, in which event it is of an inverted U-shaped configuration as shown, with the cam surfaces 27 being present at both sides of its lower edges, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The extent of movement of the lever 25 is limited by a transverse pin 28 which is provided in the body 11 and extends through arcuate slots 29 formed in opposite sides of the lever, the slots 29 being concentric with the pivot pin 26. t

The arm 22 as well as the lever 25 are urged to the undepressed position by a suitable leaf spring 30 which is secured by suitable screws or rivets 31 to the bottom of the body 11 and has a free end portion 30' seated in a notch 32 formed in the underside of the arm 22. The other end portion 33 of the spring 30 operatively engages the rear surface of the pad 20 in such manner as to normally sustain the pad in a forwardly and upwardly rocked position, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5.

Means are provided for locking the lever 25 in its depressed position, these means comprising a latch member 34 which is slidably disposed in a longitudinal slot 35 formed in the lever and is equipped with a catch 36 adapted to lockingly engage the aforementioned pin 28 when the lever is depressed and the latch member is slid forwardly, as shown in Figure 5. It will be observed that the latch member may be easily manipulated by a Patented Aug. 11, 1959- finger of the same hand which holds the entire device, and by sliding the latch member rearw-a-rdly on the lever 25, the catch 36 will become disengaged from the pin 28, whereby to permit the lever and the arm 22 to return to the undepressed position under the action of the spring 30. a

When the device is placed in use, it is applied to the can 16 as shown in Figure 6, so that the can lip 14 is received in the recesses 13 while the detents 17 are disposed at the inside of the lip and the pad 20 engages the outer surface of the can wall below the lip. T hereupon, the lever 25 is simply pressed toward the handle 11a by holding both the lever and the handle in the same hand, during which action the resultant depression of the arm 22 will cause the punch member 23 to penetrate the top of the canv and, at the same time, the pad will be pressed against the can by the downward movement of the punch member about the axis of the pin 22' which is fixed relative to the axis of the pin 19 carrying the pad 20. The can will thus be firmly held while the punching operation is performed, this holding action being inherent to the use of the device and not requiring any support of the can by the hands of the operator.

With reference to Figure 4, it will be seen that the punch member 23, which may be fabricated either from solid or from sheet material, includes a pair of convergent cutting edges 37 terminating in a cutting point 38. The face of the member 23 is depressed or recessed as shown at 39 and is formed with an aperture 40 to receive the aforementioned screw 24. The side portions 41 of the punch member are slightly concave or tapered inwardly, so that they roll the side edges of the cut in the can top and prevent the same from dragging against the punch member when the latter is being withdrawn from the punched opening. Cutting edges 42 are also provided at opposite sides of the recessed portion 39 of the punch member, and it will be apparent from the foregoing that a punch member of this type will form a clean-cut opening through the can top and will be easily withdrawn therefrom after the opening is made, without sticking or dragging.

Although the punch member is shown in the drawings as being formed from solid material, it may be also fabricated from a blank of sheet material if so preferred, as already noted.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications may be resorted to, such as may lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A can punch comprising in combination, an elongated body affording a handle at one end portion thereof, can lip engaging means and a can engaging guide pro vided on said body remote from said handle, a depressible arm extending along said body and pivoted at one end thereof to said handle, a can punch member provided at the other end of said arm in adjacent relation to said lip engaging means and said guide, and an actuating lever pivoted at one end thereof to said body adjacent said punoh member, said lever having a cam edge in engagement with said arm for depressing the same.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with resilient means for urging said arm to its undepressed position.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 together with means for locking said lever in a depressed position of said arm.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said can engaging guide is pivotally connected to said body and adapted for rocking movement about an axis transverse to the plane of depression of said arm.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said body including said handle is hollow and adapted to receive therein said arm in its depressed position.

' 6. A can punch comprising in combination, an el0ngated hollow body of a substantially U-shaped cross section havingan open top and affording a handle at one end portion thereof, a pair of transversely spaced longitudinal extension ears provided at the other end of said body adjacent its open top, a portion of said body below said ears being recessed to receive a can lip and provided adjacent the recess with a can lip engaging detent, a transverse pivot pin provided in said body adjacent said recess, a pressure pad rockably mounted on said pivot pin and adapted to engage a can wall portion under its lip, a depressible arm disposed in the open top of said body and pivoted at one end thereof to said handle, a can punch member provided at the other end of said arm adjacent said lip engaging detent, an actuating lever pivoted at one end thereof to said extension ears and having a cam edge in engagement with said arm for depressing the same when the lever is moved toward said handle, and a leaf spring interposed between said body and said arm for urging the latter to its undepressed position.

7. The device as defined in claim 6 together with an extension provided on said leaf spring and operatively engaging said pressure pad.

8. The device as defined in claim 6 together with means provided on said lever for releasably locking the same in the depressed position of said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,662,172 Schaefer Mar. 13, 1928 2,683,307 Sturnpp July 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 492,621 Italy Mar. 29, 1954 571,757 Great Britain Sept. 7, .1945 

